Cutting wood on Saturday was productive but, Father, my body is so feeling it today. Little sleep doesn’t help a bit, either. Despite it all, may I clearly hear You speaking to me. Amen.
John 2:23-25 (<<click here to read the passage)
Several years ago, when we were redoing our bathroom, we decided to replace our sink and the cabinet under it – our old one had very little storage, and it had a limited counter area around the sink itself.
Being that it was to be used in a room where there would be lots of moisture, we decided we wanted to get a cabinet constructed of solid wood. It was nigh impossible, in our price range, to find one! Everything we looked at either had a wood veneer (a thin slice of natural wood) or a plastic coating (made to look like wood) attached, through gluing or pressing, onto a panel of fiberboard or particleboard. They were manufactured to give the appearance of an all-wood piece when in reality only the surface is taken from natural wood.
When Jesus began drawing disciples and other followers around Him, He was extremely selective. By no means was He exclusive, all were welcome, but where many began to trust in him…Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart. vs23-25
A verse mentioned in my study Bible* was Jeremiah 17:9. It reads,
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
….and desperately wicked.
….Who really knows how bad it is? NLT
Who really knows? Jesus really knows. The Amplified Bible says that Jesus, understood the superficiality and fickleness of human nature and that He knew what was in man [in their hearts—in the very core of their being]… vs24-25
Sadly enough, as time went along those proclaiming “Praise Him!” one day were screaming, “Crucify Him!” the next.
As I’ve said, Jesus wanted genuine followers. It made no difference who you were, where you came from, what your gender was, how much money you had, etc., etc. Jesus loves you for you! But we have to be real. We have to own up to our frailties and fall at his feet for mercy and forgiveness. And maybe it happens time after time…but Jesus knows us. He knows, and understands, who we are but even more importantly He knows who we can be.
Lord Jesus, help us fess up to the fact that we are weak. But help us to understand that in You we can be strong. Enable us not to just have the appearance of genuineness but may we be the real deal through and through. Amen.
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Mar 29th, 2021, Mon, 8:46 pm
